They were so good in 1 run games and extra inning games cause of their damn dominant bullpen. That is not luck, that is what they built their team around (very strong bullpen) and the starting pitching kept them in enough games to allow their superior bullpen to outpitch the opposing team bullpen.

Luck is when it happens here and there... WHen it happens over the entire course of the season that is not luck. The O's struggled through a magnitude of injuries the previous 3 years and had years where they lost just as much that hte Jays lost this past year. So does that mean in those years that the Jays did well it was all smoke and mirrors and a result of hte O's struggling with injuries?

Stop discounting what the O's did last year. They outperformed their PECOTA projections by the most of any team last year (71 wins projected) and Oakland was 2nd (74 wins projected).

Baltimore will most likely take a step back this coming year but they will still be a team you dont want to face. Especially if they sign Josh Hamilton who they are interested in acquiring. Also they have been talking to the Royals about Butler and other pieces.

They were so good in 1 run games and extra inning games cause of their damn dominant bullpen. That is not luck, that is what they built their team around (very strong bullpen) and the starting pitching kept them in enough games to allow their superior bullpen to outpitch the opposing team bullpen.

Luck is when it happens here and there... WHen it happens over the entire course of the season that is not luck. The O's struggled through a magnitude of injuries the previous 3 years and had years where they lost just as much that hte Jays lost this past year. So does that mean in those years that the Jays did well it was all smoke and mirrors and a result of hte O's struggling with injuries?

Stop discounting what the O's did last year. They outperformed their PECOTA projections by the most of any team last year (71 wins projected) and Oakland was 2nd (74 wins projected).

Baltimore will most likely take a step back this coming year but they will still be a team you dont want to face. Especially if they sign Josh Hamilton who they are interested in acquiring. Also they have been talking to the Royals about Butler and other pieces.

It's no mystery the AL East was the worst it's been in a long time. Boston imploding and blowing up the team, the Jays having basically every starter injured, the Yanks were filled with old players that were gassed, I can go on.

The point here is Baltimore did what they needed to do and took care of business while everyone else as down. Honestly, great job by them because it was the ebst time to strike. I can guarantee they take a big step back this year. 100 games into the season I don't think they'll even be sniffing the playoffs.

If you trully don't believe that winning all those 1 run games and extra inning games was lucky, then I really don't know what to tell you. It takes a tremendous amount of luck to consistently win those close nail biters in baseball, and I can guarantee that won't happen again this year. Let's say the O's drop to 500, or slightly higher in those games, all of a sudden they're no where close to the post season. Baltimore will be the 4th best team in the AL East next season IMO.

I fail to understand why so many people are showering negative if, ands, and buts. This is one of the greatest trades in Toronto sports history. My biggest worry is resigning Johnson, but I'm sure AA has it under control. We picked up a top 10 pitcher in the league which we have been begging for. We easily have the fastest team in the league, as well as arguably the best lead off hitter. I don't want to get ahead of myself, but I don't see how we dont make a charge for the division this year. I'm not saying we'll win it, but well be in it late in the season.

Not to be negative but we could make a huge list of big money pickups that were busts, at least the players picked up arn't on long term deals and can moved if they don't work out.

I love how over valued the Orioles will be coming into this season. They had way too many things go their way this year, yes, I'm saying they needed a whole lot of luck to win.

Baltimore was 29-9 in 1 run games and 14-2 in extra innings, this was extremely lucky and can guarantee these won't be the results next season. They were also lucky enough to play i9n a division that was an absolute disaster last year. Toronto had more injuries to their starters than I've ever seen in sports. Boston was an absolute wreck and finished below 500 for the first time in years, Tampa was good, but was way too reliant on pitching. And the Yankees were an old veteran team that collapsed down the stretch and ran out of gas. The AL East hit rock bottom last year, and it is clearly represented by the Orioles winning the division.

I'm not simply stating this because I'm a Jays fan, but because it is fact. The Jays will come into next season with a much better line up, pitching staff, and bullpen. I'm not saying that this will necessarily translate into success on the field, but on paper this certainly holds true.

The Jays were in a position to challenge for a wild card last year until their team seemingly got hit with the worst injury bug I've seen. Adding a top 10 pitcher (if healthy), a 34 year old Buerlhe who has the ability to win you 16 games with an era in the 3's, arguably the best lead off hitter and an anual 300 hitter, another speedy player that can start/fill in at basically any position, and a veteran catcher who can knock the ball out of the park (Buck played great when he was here a few years ago)

I agree with thorpe that the Yanks will open as the favourite to win the AL East, with Toronto right behind them.

Wow, you know nothing about baseball if you say the Orioles are good because they got lucky. I hate people who make these stupid behind statements that I do not even want to waist my time responding to someone who doesnt even bring a valid arguement to the table. The Orioles will win the division and you will remember EastOakland said it next year. A team that is that resiliant in extra inning games and one run games will be much tougher than any other team. The Giants did that in 2010 when they won the World Series. They simply have a better all around team than the BlueJays, thats fact. For you to say it's luck that won 96 games is absolute horseshit. Come back with a real arguement and a coach for your team and then I may read the horseshit that comes out of your fool you call a mouth.

The bullpen was their strength. Those 1 run games and extra inning games were won because their bullpen was so much better and deeper.

That is not luck. If their bullpen sucked and they had that record then that is luck.

Of course it isn't luck, he is just a homer and hes mad that the BlueJays will not be that good next year just because they signed these pieces. The O's will make a couple good aquisitions in the offseason, hopefully Hamilton in your case, but other small pieces will be fine as well. The players love their coach and he is a good coach to play for. Championship teams are close and this team is close just like the Giants and A's. They have a leader in Jones and they hit a lot of bombs. The stadium is getting more and more fans which is good. They got some good starting pitching and a great bullpen. Also dont forget about the kid BUNDY, we will see what he does, I think he comes up next year from what I heard.

Wow, you know nothing about baseball if you say the Orioles are good because they got lucky. I hate people who make these stupid behind statements that I do not even want to waist my time responding to someone who doesnt even bring a valid arguement to the table. The Orioles will win the division and you will remember EastOakland said it next year. A team that is that resiliant in extra inning games and one run games will be much tougher than any other team. The Giants did that in 2010 when they won the World Series. They simply have a better all around team than the BlueJays, thats fact. For you to say it's luck that won 96 games is absolute horseshit. Come back with a real arguement and a coach for your team and then I may read the horseshit that comes out of your fool you call a mouth.

No one on this site makes my blood boil quite like this fraud of a thug. Listen, you seem to think that you're this intelligent informed individual that actually knows a thing or two, but honestly, you're an unintelligent, clearly uneducated, thug.

The Blue jays squad is without a single doubt in my mind a superior team. I understand your lack of intelligence interferes with your ability to think like a rational human being, but the O's needed a whole lot of luck last year to win that division. You clearly don't know about statistics and probabilities, but that's clearly expected here. It's impossible for a team to win 1 run and extra inning games at such a substantial rate. They were far above league average, and it was clearly lucky to win all those games. I understand though, you don't possess the mental capacity to fathom things I said. I never once stated that the entire reason and making the playoffs was 100% luck, but it was most certainly a gigantic reason why. I understand you must resort to attacking me because as a thug, that's you automatic reaction to any type of disagreement. Barbarian's revert to this, so it was certainly expected.

Jays are not a vastly superior team now. They are probably around an 86-94 win team as of right now. The O's will probably drop to around 82-90 win team.

The rays and Yankees are in the same ballpark as both teams. There will not be 4 90 win teams in the AL east next year. They will beat up on each other and they will all end up close in the standings.

And just because you keep saying the Orioles got lucky doesn't make it true. 96 wins is not luck get that through your head. I guess Robert Horry hitting have winning shots his whole career was luck also, correct?

ROSEMONT, Ill. -- Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig says he is examining the pending blockbuster trade between the Miami Marlins and Toronto Blue Jays and is aware of the fan anger in South Florida.

Speaking
at the conclusion of the owners' meetings, Selig said Thursday the
trade hasn't officially been presented to him. But he said the matter is
under review and he talked to two independent baseball people who feel
the Marlins did well in the proposed swap.

Miami has agreed to send All-Star shortstop Jose Reyes and pitchers Mark Buehrle and Josh Johnson
to Toronto for a group of the Blue Jays' top prospects. The trade is
pending physicals, but many Marlins fans are upset with the deal since
the team just moved into a new publicly financed ballpark.

No one on this site makes my blood boil quite like this fraud of a thug. Listen, you seem to think that you're this intelligent informed individual that actually knows a thing or two, but honestly, you're an unintelligent, clearly uneducated, thug.

The Blue jays squad is without a single doubt in my mind a superior team. I understand your lack of intelligence interferes with your ability to think like a rational human being, but the O's needed a whole lot of luck last year to win that division. You clearly don't know about statistics and probabilities, but that's clearly expected here. It's impossible for a team to win 1 run and extra inning games at such a substantial rate. They were far above league average, and it was clearly lucky to win all those games. I understand though, you don't possess the mental capacity to fathom things I said. I never once stated that the entire reason and making the playoffs was 100% luck, but it was most certainly a gigantic reason why. I understand you must resort to attacking me because as a thug, that's you automatic reaction to any type of disagreement. Barbarian's revert to this, so it was certainly expected.

darn, I just wrote a longass comment to this bafoon and I accidently closed out of it. Let me make this short, how are the Toronto BlueJays, one of the worst baseball teams in the league if not the worst going to win 20 more games next year? Because you got Johnson, Reyes, and Buehrle. Sorry it's not going to happen. You dont know anything about baseball. Talk about facts, I dont care about none of this other bullshit you are talking about. My blood doesn't boil over baby person cornballs like you. Lets talk baseball, not this horseshit you want to babble on and on about. Save that for your girlfriends vagina. Toronto BlueJays have horrible pitching, close to last place in every key category. Their on base % is horrible and 25th or 26th in the league. Romero is on the downside of his career posting a 5.77 ERA and is suppose to be their ACE, LOL. You better prey to someone that Morrow comes back like last year, which I hope he does because he is a Cal native. Otherwise kiss your season goodbye because good pitching wins games. Johnson is not a great pitcher he used to be unless he puts in major work, moving to the AL East will be even worse. Buehrle is okay but wont turn around your entire team and your bullpen sucks. You get rid of Hechavarria who was going to be a good player, showing some real talent. Now with that said, how is this trade going to make a team who barely won 70 games last year with the last 3 comming against the lowly Twins going to be a superior baseball team with no pitching, no chemistry between these players, a shitty ballpark and playing in a division where the Rays, Orioles and Yankees are much better teams with good coaches. You dont even have a coach yet, .

Teams that win championships are teams that have chemistry, good pitching, a good fan base, and good pitching. Orioles will be the AL East Champs and when they are please pluck your head the gopher hole you reside in and admit you were wrong. I will be here next year when the BlueJays struggle agains to win 70 games. Probably win around the same amount with a slight possiblity to crack the above .500 mark.

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